Those of you that routinely go to the music section to listen to a few song samples while reading the album of the week review are probably a tad shocked to hear Anima Morte, a band not playing Metal. But those that are aficionados for Italian horror flicks featuring tasty cannibalism, yellow-jacketed pulp fiction turned cinematic Giallo by influence of Dario Argento, or zombies rising from a tub drained of its brackish water will not be surprised to hear ‘Face the Sea of Darkness,’ an album inspired by the musical arrangements found in those types of films.
Anima Morte isn’t music meant to be pigeon holed, in that it is filled with a convoluted substance that belies the slasher flick ambiance. In other words, the instrumentals found on ‘Face the Sea of Darkness’ can be appreciated by all listeners just on the basis of inventive diversity. Most exceptional is the bands ability to create a simple melodic riff that seemingly blankets the 70’s progressive rock complexity. Flashes of jazz piano slither in minutia, electric guitar is brilliantly distorted enough to convey gigantic heavy notes, acoustic guitar is portentously heart wrenching, and bass is beautifully prominent with a timely funky dynamism or contemplative lurch that matches the drums in ghostly movements. Choral passages are eerie and songs have powerful hooks that present a level of musical anxiety, like watching a killer stalk prey.
The overall use of keyboards (It would surprise me to learn they are using organ, piano, Mellotron, and Moog synthesizer) is extraordinary in its ability to express suffering or dramatic seconds of tragedy musically in much the same fashion as hypnotic cinematography trailing blood garishly spotting a marbled floor. Other passages in songs have the keyboards weaving an almost mawkish 70’s disco psychedelia balanced against a progressive rock vibe, which creates a mysteriously thrilling aura. Most awesome is that massive organ, whose keys are hammered and seemingly held down in deliciously dexterous moments of climax, like watching a murderer stab a victim through a sultry white dress.
‘Face the Sea of Darkness’ is a CD embodying a smattering of Goblin with Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and a hint of progressive era Genesis to create Anima Morte, a band ingeniously capable of crafting music that is spooky and thought provoking. Moreover, the smart people at Dead Beat Media have essentially fused forward thinking with a glimmer of retrospective by putting out Anima Morte, for this is music that hearkens to the 70’s and 80’s where the art of film was bound in equilibrium to music’s ability to create tension, terror, drama, and pathos. Unfortunately, seeing most of today’s rehashed lowbrow horror films is like watching a sports highlight reel featuring beautiful teenagers splattered by killers while Nu-Metal or Metalcore dubiously jams in the background.
Being a horror film fan is not necessary for listeners to enjoy or even love ‘Face the Sea of Darkness.’ The music is brilliantly retro but intoxicatingly modern. Arrangements are near genius, and the production is stellar thereby enhancing the suggestion of supernatural homicide. The mix is robust in that it gives all the instruments their cohesive space. But best of all is the fact that Anima Morte is band whose music is layered with enough complexity that it never grows tiresome to hear. Despite its late 2007 release date, ‘Face the Sea of Darkness’ is certainly one of the best recordings of the year past, but the reality is that its sheer brilliance is timeless.
By Mike Lidia
